Chapter 4: The little girl (4)

“What happened? Where am I?” Astora quickly got up on her feet. Her head still felt heavy after what transpired. Wait a minute, how was she able to move? Last time she checked, the girl was still strapped to the chair inside that white room. However, she never remembered being where she was up. “How did I end here?”

The girl was no longer in that accursed room anymore. Tears dropped down to her soft cheeks as the girl was barely able to retain herself. She finally got out of that jail cell after all these years. Unfortunately, her happiness soon came to an end as she began to realize that she has not yet gotten out of trouble. On the contrary, it seemed that she was in much deeper trouble.

Instead of a white room, Astora was now in a dark place with nothing in sight. Even the floor she walked on was some kind of shadow that flew like water, trapping all light within it. That light from earlier, did it take her here? Left with no other alternative, the girl decided to look around in order to find a way to get out of this strange place.

But where would she go when she didn’t have any destination in mind? How was she supposed to orientate herself in this barren land of darkness? As despair began to take her over, a sparkle of hope manifested itself. Above in the black sky, the girl could see a large shape, like some sort of floating island. It might prove worthwhile to at least check the place. The question however was: how could she get there?

“How do I get up there?” the girl asked herself while staring at the island. Suddenly, in her eyes, the island seemed to be getting bigger and bigger. Actually, it was not. In fact, the girl was being picked up towards the island by some invisible force. “ARGGG!”

*SLAM*

The girl somehow landed successfully on the island. Thanks to the soft earth she landed on, Astora got away with only a few minor bruises.

“Ouch!” she muttered painfully.

“Welcome to our shop! Welcome to our shop!” a mechanical voice rang loudly.

Astora raised her head to look at the source of the voice, only to have her mind blown away. In the midst of this dark land, a gleaming building adorned with an abundant number of neon lights used for advertisement and colorful panels with comical characters recommending various items. Calling this place weird would be a gross understatement. But for some reasons, these excessive lighting appealed well to Astora’s taste. Perhaps it was due to her unusual upbringing and her innocent nature. And those comical characters shown on those panels, they were all her favorite characters from many different comics she loved.

“The person who built this place must have good taste. If it was up to me, I would….” Then something struck her. “….build the same thing.”

It was no coincidence that the decorating style of this building somehow appealed to Astora. In reality, Astora was the one who designed such a ridiculous looking shop a long time ago, before she was captured and imprisoned. But then, how did a fictional building she drew on a whim ended up being constructed here in this unknown land?

Taken by her curiosity, Astora pushed the door and entered the building.

“Welcome to our shop! May I interest you in buying something?” the mechanical voice rang again, this time softer and closer than before. It came from the one-eyed android standing behind the counter. Possessing a glossy body made by a shiny silver-like substance and a big eye slot that looked more like a high tech camera, the android shared the appearance to that of an adult female human with synthetic black hair. Its muscle seemed to be made in a very flexible material that allowed it for swift and smooth movements just like a real human. But what of its mind?

“Excuse me…I am a bit lost.” Astora spoke timidly.

“Oh of course. We have so much items available that you would definitely lose yourself over choosing which. May I ask what are you looking for specifically?” Strangely, the android had a very human voice and a very beautiful one at that.

“No I mean…I am actually lost…like where is this place?” Astora said.

“Whatever do you mean? This place is our shop. It has always been and will always be.” The android answered.

“But what is this shop? Why is there a shop here in the first place?” Astora bombarded the confused android with questions. “Where am I?”

“Uhm….GRAMPS!” the android called out loudly. “Come down quick! There is a weird customer here.”

“I am busy. Kick them out!” a voice from upstairs answered. It seemed to belong to a man.

“But she said she is lost. I can’t just kick her out like that.” The android shouted back.

“Then say how sorry you are unable to help her. Then kick her out! Nicely!”

“HEY! I am still here!” Astora joined the shouting.

“And I am not. In fact, I am already gone.” The voice from upstairs responded.

“I can still hear you.” Astora retorted.

“It is just the echo of my voice. I am actually very far away….away…away…away.” the man faked an echoing voice.

“…….” A moment of silence.

“Is she away?” the voice from above asked.

“Nope. Still here. I can still hear you. Please, I need your help.” Astora begged.

“Why should I?” the voice from upstairs inquired.

“Because I want to get out of this place.”

“……What did you just say?” Both the android and the voice from above sounded surprised.

“I said: I want to get out of this place.” Astora affirmed desperately.

“….Let me come down!”

The footsteps walking on the creaking wooden floor kept getting closer as the person behind the voice from upstairs and that lame joke finally decided to show himself. It turned out to be a grumpy-looking old man holding a wrench. The old geezer seemed to be in the middle of working on some mechanic work as he was covered in stains of oil and his clothes were quite dirty.

“Let me get this straight! You want to get out of this place?” asked the old man.

“That is what I have been telling you.” Astora spoke.

“Tell me, what does this place look like to you?” the geezer asked.

“A shop with plenty of neon light and very funny ads. They look just like an old drawing I made a long time ago.” Astora spoke honestly.

“Hahaha.” The man laughed loudly. “Such a ridiculous thing, right? Hahahaha!”

“Hihihihihi!” the female android started to laugh too.

“He..he…he.” Feeling awkward by the two, Astora felt compelled to join the frey.

“All right, I will help you.” the old man agreed.

“Really? Thank you!” Astora said. “But before that, what exactly is this place? Why does it look so similar to one of my drawings from my childhood?”

“It does just not look similar. It is an identical replica of your shop.” The old man revealed. “After all, this world is a representation of your sub-consciousness.”

“What? What do you mean? Are you saying that this is just a dream?” Astora could not believe her ears.

“Calling it a dream would be a stretch although in reality, it is not that far from the truth either.” The old spoke cryptically, making the girl even more confused than before. “Let me put it this way! Humans and most self-conscious living beings, no matter how strong and powerful they are, have a limit they could no longer handle. The is especially true if we talk about the mind or psyche.

At every instant, your mind takes in information from its surroundings from all your senses and interpret them before making the decision to take an action. However, there are moments when the surge of information are too much for our psyche to handle and therefore lose track of what it is doing. This can be caused by a sudden traumatic experience or a lack of self-control. So to avoid a mental shutdown, the mind filled the gaps with what it considered necessary to restrain this flux of information. Whether by shutting down the info itself or by adding more mechanisms of perception. Of course, all this process is deeply hidden in the sub consciousness so the individual themselves may not even notice the difference.

Does that make sense to you?”

“I think so…Based from what you said earlier on how this place is a representation of my sub-conscious…are you saying that this place…this shop is what my sub consciousness created to deal with the influx of information?” Astora concluded. All those years of reading seemingly complex books were not for naught after all.

“Exactly. After the awakening, your body and mind were subjected to the myriad of various information. However, unlike with a computer, you can’t just download all sorts of programs and expect to be able to use them just like that. That is why this shop exists, as a way for your psyche to handle the info in a more ‘user-friendly’ manner.” The old geezer explained. “Besides, where is the fun to play a game with all the end-game contents immediately?” the man laughed.

“This is not a game!” Astora argued.

“It is all a matter of perspective. To you, maybe not. But for those in a much higher position, watching you struggle sure is fun.” The old man mocked. “Why think too hardly when you can just enjoy it?”

“ *sigh*…alright let’s assume that this place is just a fiction created by me. If that is the case, then what exactly are you two?” Astora glanced at the female android and the old man.

“We are what we are. Nothing more, nothing less. For now, you can think us as the caretakers of this shop. One thing is sure though: we are on your side in this journey. No matter where you go or what you decide, we will always be here.” The android said calmly.

“What a convincing speech!” Astora shook her head.

“Then how about some proof? We have something that would be vital in your journey.” The android walked in the back of the store behind the curtain, made some noises and came back with a huge black box with no opening at all before putting it down on the floor in front of Astora.

“What is it?” the girl asked curiously.

“No idea!” the android swiftly answered without hesitation.

“What?”

“Don’t ask me! This is your mind.” The android spoke.

“If we consider this world as your sub-consciousness then this box would be its core. It existed even before this shop and served as its foundation up until now.” The old man continued to explain his cryptic message.

“But how am I supposed to open it?” Astora said.

“If there is not a lid or an opening, make one! It is as simple as that. Who knows? Maybe it will just open if you ask it…nicely.”

“…..” With no other choice, Astora turned toward the black box and put her hand on it. The two strangers did not seem like they were trying to trick her. Else, why would they make up such an unnecessary complicated tale like that? If they really were up to no good, there were plenty of other possibilities to say. At least for now, Astora believed that she should follow their advice and find a way to get out of this so-called dream as soon as possible.

“OPEN SESAME!”

“…..” Nothing happened.

“Well….you did your best.” The old man spoke distantly. “Maybe….try another approach? Something a bit ….less cliché?”

Suddenly, luminous ray of lights pierced from inside the book. Like a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered, the box opened itself and revealed its content.

“What the heck is this?” Astora fell on her butts at the sight of what was inside the box. Instead of a shiny weapon of some sort, what she got was an old looking thick grimoire half her size. Moreover, the borderlines of the pages were all on the verge of disintegrating with some even torn apart. But the most disturbing thing about this book was its sinister look. On the front cover, what looked like an eye ball slot seemed to be closed tightly. Meanwhile, the cover itself that englobed the grimoire shared a similar appearance to that of a mouth filled with teeth. It made you feel like it would bite off your hand if you wanted to open the grimoire.

“Holy…what a creepy ass book!” the android commented. “What is that, gramps?”

“A compendium, an archive of knowledge.” The old man said.

“Compendium? Of what?” asked Astora.

“Everything. Just try to open it!” the old man advised.

“I don’t want to have my hand bit off.” The girl complained.

“It won’t since you are its owner…..”

With every single membrane of her body shivering in fear, Astora reluctantly put on her on the cover and slowly lifted it book.

“….probably.”

*CHOMP*

“IT BIT ME! HELP!” the girl screamed in panic as she tried to pull her hand out. Immediately the android grabbed the girl’s arm and used all inhuman strength to help but it only hurt the girl even more.

“Gramps, what should we do?” the android panicked.

“Calm down, both of you!” the old man spoke firmly. His loud stern voice acted like a bell bringing the two ladies back to themselves. “Look carefully!” The man pointed at the swallowed hand of Astora. “You are not even bleeding. With that kind of teeth, if it was biting you, it would have tear your hand long ago. I bet it did not even hurt you.”

“Now that you mention it, it doesn’t hurt at all. But it is creepy. I feel something slimy inside. Oh god it is licking my arm. Something is wrapping itself around my hand.” Astora shouted and pulled her hand out with all her might. It was then the grimoire finally let her go, throwing her back against the wall. “Ouch!”

“Let me see that hand!” the old man crouched down and observed Astora’s left hand that has been swallowed just a moment ago by a creepy book. “Did you have this mark before?” The old man referred to the brand that somehow appeared on the girl’s backhand. It depicted two serpent-like creatures biting the tail of the other and formed a circle. In the middle of that circle, an eye could be seen but its lids were closed.

“What a bad girl! You already go yourself a tattoo at your age.” The android giggled.

“It is not mine. I never got it before.” Astora argued.

“Well it is stuck on your hand now. If you are going to change the world, you may want to have a rebellious look. Got to start somewhere.” The old man grinned. “Joking aside, I believe it is the proof of ownership. Basically, the book recognizes you as its owner.”

“Since when does book choose its owner by swallowing their hands?” Astora grunted and walked toward the now opened ominous grimoire. To her disappointment, it was empty. All the pages inside the grimoire were blank, despite it contained so many. “Why is it blank???”

“Who knows?” said the grandpa.

“How can this thing help me? What kind of power can it give me?”

“Books provide knowledge and knowledge is power. You have to discover that for yourself. I am sure it will come quite handy in time. Might be even sooner than you expect.”

“Then…can I go back now?” Astora asked.

“It is up to you. Like I said, you are the one in control of this world. If your mind determines that you no longer need to stay here, if it deems you worthy of the power you got from here, then you can go back.” The old man explained.

“That doesn’t sound like I am in charge of all.” Astora pouted.

“Trust me! You are!” the old man reassured. “Now trot along will you? And don’t forget to bring that thing with you.”

Still feeling a bit reluctant to touch the grimoire, Astora took it on her hand. For something the size of half her body, the grimoire was surprisingly light. In fact, it felt as if it had no weight at all. And just a moment ago, the female android seemed to have so much trouble carrying it.

“A final word of advice.” The old man changed his tone to a more serious one. “If you ever need something, come back here and we will help you. However, all powers come with a price. Whether it is from us or from that grimoire, you must ready yourself to pay the price. Take it into consideration! Will it be worth it? Will you be able to carry the responsibility that comes with it?

Think about it before the next time you end up facing a crisis!”

“Thanks for the advice….and everything you did for me today. I will make sure to come back….if I ever dream about you…I guess?” Astora seemed unsure about how to return to this place. There were still many mysteries about this peculiar shop. Furthermore, the residents seemed knowledgeable about this dream world as well. She definitely got to back here another time.

“You will come back here…when you need to.”

“Wait! I still didn’t get your names…..AAA!”

With that said, Astora’s vision became blinded by a luminous light. As she regained her vision, she was now in some kind of hospital room with all the medical equipment attached to her. Of course, she was restrained to the bed and could barely even move.

The door opened and a scientist walked in holding a paper report. He was the person in charge of taking care of her for five years until being transferred away just recently. By pure chance, the guy somehow ended up taking care of her again. Upon seeing the girl opening her eyes, the guy was so shocked he dropped the report to the floor.

“Astora, you are awake.” The scientist rushed towards the bed. “I am so glad. After what happened, I thought you were brain dead.”

“How long was I out?” asked Astora.

“Two days. God, I am so glad you pulled that off.” Said the scientist.

“Did something happen when I was out?” Astora asked out of concern. She still remembered that night when she emitted that pillar of light toward the sky. If anything, that CIA director would pay even more attention to her now. “Where is he?”

“You mean the director? Don’t worry he is not here. Today is the election day so he won’t be coming for at least a few days. Besides, the doctor here is a friend of mine and I asked her to tamper with the medical report. They will leave you alone for a while.” The scientist reassured. “But I do have to warn you. After your display two days ago, the top branch is starting to take interest in you. I heard even the President is aware of that. So….” The scientist could not utter the words from his mouth. He wanted to reassure this kid in front of him that everything would be fine. But he knew it would be such an obvious lie and he could not bear that guilt.

“I understand. They will continue their experiments with a few extra.” Astora coldly spoke.

“Maybe...maybe I can fake the report saying you have been severely injured…maybe….maybe I can help you escape.”

“It is fine.” Astora gave off a soft smile. “But I can handle it.” The girl spoke with conviction. “Thank you for everything you have done for me after all these years! I have been selfish and acting like a spoiled child.” The girl suddenly apologized.

“Wa…wa….are you really okay? Did you hit your head or something? Do you have a fever?” the scientist put his hand on the girl’s forehead, only to be pushed away.

“What are you doing? It is creepy.” She kicked him in the stomach out of instinct.

“Sorry….it is just…for the last five years, you never say thanks once to me. So it is kind of a big deal to me.” The scientist tried to keep his smile with tears flowing down from his ears. All these years, the scientist was in a gruesome dilemma between his duties to his countries and his moral code. He knew what he did was wrong for it betrayed the ethical oath he once swore. Yet, he could not betray his country. And even if he stopped, someone else would just take his place. So instead of resigning, the man could only continue his duties while doing his best to lessen the sufferings of his victims. But deep down, he knew that it was just an excuse to justify his own cowardice.

But just now, one of his victims said thanks to him. A simple expression of gratitude yet held a profound meaning to the conflicted scientist.

“You are weird….” Astora blushed.

“Did something happen, Astora?” asked the scientist.

“Why are you asking that?”

“It is just, you know. I feel like something has changed in you. Before, you always felt so…sad and distant. But now, looking at you….I only see life and hope. Maybe I am wrong but….I don’t know how to say it…”

“It’s fine. Nothing has changed yet. But I intend to make some changes when I am back.” Astora gave a big smile with confidence.

* * *

“With the honors bestowed to me by our citizens, I hereby present to you the 60th president of the United Federation, Mr. George Hyland.”

*CLAPS CLAPS CLAPS*

“Thank you! Thank you! Truly, what a beautiful and historic day! Twenty years ago, when I said to my family that I wanted to become the president of our beloved country, they just laughed at me. And today, look at me now, elected for a second consecutive term!

But instead of losing time in all those formalities, I believe we have a bigger problem that needs our attention. My fellow countrymen, our nation is facing a crisis of a unimaginable scale. No, I am not talking about the conflict of the southern sea between our allies. No, I am not talking about the rise of the terrorists in the eastern land. They are problems that can be solved with negotiations and perhaps a large army of a powerful country such as ours. However, the crisis I am speaking of, as much as I hate to say this to you, we won’t be able to solve it by ourselves.

This is not just a conflict for the interest of a nation or a clash of ideology. No, this is a crisis that will determine the survival of our species. At this very moment, our nation, our entire world faces imminent destruction from a foreign force. But of course, you wouldn’t know who I am talking about.

To prevent this, I ask all world leaders to come to our capital three days from now on. There, I will reveal who our true enemies are and why we should leave our conflicts between us behind.

That is all I want to say for my inauguration speech. Thank you and good bye!”

While the world was shocked by the sudden ambiguous message of the president of the United Federation, somewhere in an observatory, an astronomer was observing the change in the solar radiation being appalled by his discovery. On the surface of the sun, a dark hole has appeared and from it, thousands of radiant unidentified objects began to emerge. All of them like an armada were heading toward his dear planet.

* * *

“Is this where that light originated from?”

“Yes, milord! There is no mistake that it came from here. The fact that there is a hole in the Veil as a result from its passing is more than enough proof.”

“Very well! All Mortalis on deck, hear me! We are the chosen of Estella. As commanded by Her Divinity, we will find the source of the Ender scourge and end it once and for all.

The residents of this world have long forsaken their faith toward their creators. This is an unforgivable sin of utmost profanity. Show them no mercy!

Find the Usurper and silence it! For the glory of Estella! For our Divinity!”